The supermodel directs her second film in partnership with her charity, Every Mother Counts

Christy Turlington Burns unveiled her latest directorial efforts last night at a screening in London. Every Mother, Every Mile, is a film created by the supermodel to raise awareness of her charity, Every Mother Counts.

Guests gathered at the Ham Yard Hotel for a special screening of the documentary, held in partnership with Citizens of Humanity, and to take part in a discussion panel hosted by Turlington Burns and her friend, Laura Bailey.

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"My daughter's now 11, but when I delivered her in 2003 I had a complication and started to haemorrhage out of the blue," explained Turlington Burns. "I'd had a healthy baby, healthy delivery, but just when everyone thought everything was fine – and I felt fine – things just got very messy, very quickly. Coming out of that experience, I learned about this as a global tragedy. I originally thought that if a woman died during childbirth in the 21st Century, that it was a very, very rare event. But I discovered that it wasn't rare at all. It happens to 800 women every day, and as soon as I learned that, I couldn't unlearn it. Just because I had access to the care that I needed, and a great midwife and a great obstetrician, I couldn't forget that there are so many women who don't have that access. Throughout my travels I've learned a lot, but I now know that sharing the statistics, no matter how shocking, is just not as powerful as sharing real stories from real women in real time. That's what these films help to do."

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As part of her ongoing exploration into the problem, Turlington Burns went back to school to study a masters in public health, before deciding to direct her first film, No Woman, No Cry (which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010), examining barriers for women in childbirth all over the world. Following its success, her charity, Every Mother Counts, was born. Her second film follows the supermodel and her non-profit team as they take part in the Hood to Coast Relay, a 24-hour 200-mile race across the state of Oregon.

"Now that I've run a marathon, I do think about labour and delivery in the same way," she continued. "It's similar: you have to take your time, you can't rush through it, it's difficult and challenging. The endurance aspect is built in to most people – particularly in developing countries when they often have to travel huge distances just to get water, or take their children to school, if they have that opportunity; but in our culture it's less so. Why experience pain if you can take a shortcut? We have such an aversion to pain and things that are difficult, but that's what life's about; you have highs and lows and need to challenge yourself. It's incredibly rewarding and empowering, and that's what prepares you for the next challenge, which may or may not be out of your control."

Watch a preview trailer of the film below:

Christy Turlington Burns is running the 2015 London Marathon to raise money for Every Mother Counts. To donate, visit everymothercounts.org.

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